Tie rack

ABSTRACT

A tie rack for hook-on ties includes a casing having a front plate whose edges terminate in a rearwardly directedly flange. The rearwardly directed flange terminates with right angular ear means having openings for receiving suitable fastening devices for securing the rack to a vertical structure. The front plate has elongated slots disposed therein and arranged with their major axes in a horizontal plane. The slots are arranged in a matrix staggered in an alternate, interlaced configuration. Each slot is adapted to receive the central clip of a hook-on tie. The slots are generated through the front plate in a backwardly and downwardly directed manner so that the hook-on ties can be easily inserted into and removed from the tie rack.

[451 Apr.4,1972

s4] TIE RACK [72] Inventor: George L. Rice, PO. Box 112, R.D. #1,

Temple, Pa. 19560 [22] Filed: July 27,1970

[21] Appl.No.: 58,495

[52] US. Cl ..2l1/l3, 211/86 [51] Int. Cl. ..B42f 17/00 [58] FieldofSearch ..21l/13, 1,86, 87

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,569,021 9/1951 Rozanski ..211/120 2,598,614 5/1952 Gilbert 211/113 3,497,079 2/1970 Kulwiec ..2l l/87 3,118,541 1/1964 McKeever ....211/13 3,081,881 3/1963 Seeger ....211/13 3,270,889 9/1966 Pochopien.... ....211/13 3,351,208 11/1967 Siegel ..2l1/13 Primary Examiner- Nile C. Byers,.lr. Attorney-Fred Fisher [57] ABSTRACT A tie rack for hook-on ties includes a casing having a front plate whose edges terminate in a rearwardly directedly flange. The rearwardly directed flange terminates with right angular ear means having openings for receiving suitable fastening devices for securing the rack to a vertical structure. The front plate has elongated slots disposed therein and arranged with their major axes in a horizontal plane. The slots are arranged in a matrix staggered in an alternate, interlaced configuration. Each slot is adapted to receive the central clip of a hook-on tie. The slots are generated through the front plate in a backwardly and downwardly directed manner so that the hook-on ties can be easily inserted into and removed from the tie rack.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPR 4 I972 PRIOR ART INVENTOR George L. Rice TIE RACK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to tie racks, and more particularly relates to a rack for supporting ties having a central clip and a pair of generally transversely disposed prongs, such ties being referred to hereinafter as hook-on ties. Accordingly, the general objects of the invention are to provide new and improved articles of such nature.

A hook-on tie, as is well known, comprises a central hooklikc clip and a pair of transversely disposed prongs. The central clip is arranged to hook over the front part of the collar band of the wearer, while the transversely disposed prongs are arranged to slip underneath the front edges of the collar and, hence, are not observable when so positioned. The transverse prongs serve to position the tie in a generally vertical relationship, and also prevent upward dislodgement of the tie from the wearers collar button.

Generally, for personal home use, the wearer of a hook-on tie, in the past, has kept his hook on ties in bureau drawers or on hangers. A disadvantage of keeping such ties in bureau drawers is that they tend to get wrinkled and disheveled because they are not neatly in place, and because other items in bureau drawers may tend to come into interacting engagement therewith. One disadvantage of placing hook-on ties onto a coat hanger is that the ties tend to slip off and onto the floor upon the slightest shock applied thereto. The advantages of a tie rack for housing hook-on ties are thus readily apparent.

Tie racks for hook-on ties, per se, are not new to the art. However, the tie racks of the prior art either are not generally adapted for home use, they are expensive, or they do not function ideally in a manner suitable for displaying a plurality of ties to the wearer.

One particular type of tie rack of the prior art includes a flat sheet of plastic material formed generally in the shape of FIG. 2, wherein the top portion thereof is adapted to fit over a horizontal bar or on a hook. The base horizontal member of the FIG. 2 sheet contains a single horizontal slot therein so that the central clip of a hook-on tie could be inserted therethrough. Such well-known devices, however, have the disadvantage that they house only one hook-on tie at a time. They are specifically adapted for display purposes in a store wherein one plastic member is used for each tie, and that, when mounted on a bar in a closet, they tend to get interspersed with men's suits and the like, or when placed on a hook in a closet, one tie overlaps another tie, so that the ties are not readily distinguishable for selection by the wearer.

Another type of tie rack, which was designed specifically for hook-on ties, includes a holder having many components associated therewith, such as pedestals and ledges in cooperating relationship with a base plate. Such a tie rack was designed specifically, or primarily, for use in merchandise establishments so that the ties are housed therein in a generally nonaccessible manner. The ties were removable only by applying a known intricate movement to the tie so it could be removed from the rack.

Other types of racks include special clips in combination with base plates and generally include a plurality of components so that its manufacture is comparatively complicated.

Such known article supports, as a vertically mounted peg board for example, have holes drilled in a horizontal direction therethrough from the front to the rear thereof. However, hook-on ties inserted into a horizontally produced hole of a vertically oriented tie-rack tend to get stuck thereinto, making removal thereof difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved tie rack which can display a plurality of hook-on ties wherein all ties are visible when displayed on the rack.

Another object of this invention is to provide a new and improved tie rack for hook-on ties, mountable either on a wall or a closet door, wherein the rack supports the ties firmly in place, and yet provides for easy removal of the ties therefrom without requiring any unnecessary or intricate manipulation.

With these and other objects in view, the present invention contemplates a vertically mountable tie rack for ties of the type having a central clip and a pair of generally transversable disposed prongs, otherwise known as hook-on ties. The rack includes a casing having a front plate whose edge terminates in a rearwardly directed flange. The rearwardly directed flange terminates with right angular ear means having openings for receiving suitable fastening devices for securing the rack to a vertical structure. The front plate has a plurality of elongated slots disposed therein. The slots are arranged with their major axes in a horizontal plane. Each of the slots receives the central clip of a hook-on tie. The slots are generated through the front plate in a backwardly and downwardly directed manner, providing the slots with beveled upper front surfaces and beveled lower back surfaces so that the hook-on ties can be easily inserted into and removed from the rack.

In a specific embodiment of the invention, an improved hook-on tie rack has the slots arranged in a matrix with the slots staggered in an alternate, interlaced configuration. In a more specific embodiment, the slots are generated at an angle of substantially 45,with the vertical plane from the front of the rack to the back of the rack.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Other objects, advantages, and features of the present invention will appear upon consideration of the following detailed description of specific embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a tie holder which is well known to the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view ofa portion of the tie holder illustrated in FIG. 1, taken along the line 2-2 thereof;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a tie rack in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 3a is a top view thereof; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the tie rack illustrated in FIG. 3, taken along the line 4-4 thereof.

A tie T is illustrated'in FIGS. 3 and 4 in dotted outline to illustrate its cooperation with the tie rack shown in one specific embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a prior art tie holder 10, constructed ofa single sheet of plastic material or the like. The holder 10 is constructed with an upper hook configuration 11 so that it can be suspended by a nail (not shown) or the like. The tie holder 10 may include a horizontal cutout portion 12 for receiving an ordinary four-in-hand type tie.

The plastic tie hanger 10 of the prior art includes an elongated slot 13 formed horizontally in the base of the member. The slot 13 is adapted to receive the central clip-on portion of a hook-on tie.

As shown in FIG. 2, the elongated slot 13, cut out in the base of the tie holder 10, is constructed so that the slot 13 is horizontal. Such a slot, conventionally, is punched out by any one of known techniques. By punching out, or by forming, the slot 13 in a horizontal manner, a hook-on tie can be inserted with its central clip-on member into the elongated slot 13 whereby the tie is fixedly in engagement therewith. The removal of such a tie from a horizontally oriented elongated slot is difficult. Such is desirable, however, in establishments wherein theft of ties may be commonplace.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, there is shown a tie rack 30 in accordance with a specific embodiment of the invention. The rack 30 is formed from a casing having a front plate 31 with an upper edge 32, a lower edge 33, a left edge 34, and a right edge 35 terminating in a rearwardly directed set of flanges 36, 37, 38, 39, respectively. The left and right flanges 38, 39 terminate with right angularly directed ears 41, 42, respectively,

each of which have orifices or o penings4444 for receiving suitable fastening devices, such as nails, screws or the like, for securing the tie rack 30 to a wall, a closet door, or other vertical support.

The front plate 31 is provided with a plurality of elongated slots 46-46 arranged in a matrix in an interlaced, staggered configuration.

Each of slots 4646, as shown in FIG. 4, is directed in a downwardly direction from front to rear. This downwardly direction of a slot 46 is, preferably, at an angle 45 with the vertical. It is to be noted, however, that 45 is merely illustrative and is not to be limiting of this invention. Various other angles may be suitable depending upon the shape and configuration of the central clip of any particular type of hook-on tie. Since the angle of the central clip of the hook-on tie with respect to the body of the tie may vary depending upon the manufacture of such a tie, it is obvious that the angle of the elongated slot may vary from the desired 45 in an optimum manner depending upon the tie. However, it is believed that 45 is the optimum since the ties may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and 45 is believed to be a happy compromise for general personal home usage. It is to be expected, however. that the angle can vary from say about 30 with the horizontal to about 60 with the horizontal.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the hook-on tie T, shown in dotted outline, has its pair of generally transversable disposed prongs directed upwardly along the surface of the face plate 31 of the tie rack 30. Note, as shown in FIG. 4, that the tie can be easily removed by merely lifting the tie up, out of the rack 30 without any undue manipulation.

With the tie rack 30 mounted in place on a closet door or on a wall, the ties T are held firmly in place and, yet, are not intricately engaged therewith. All ties are visible when they are hanging.

Various modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, it is not necessary that the tie rack, as illustrated herein, be made of any specific material. Plastic is desirable due to its ease with which it can be manipulated to form the final article. However, the tie rack can be made of metal, such as stainless steel. Other variations, in addition to the rack as specifically illustrated showing the overhanging ears on the left and right sides, would include overhanging ear portions on the top and bottom, in addition to the sides, for providing means for additional screws or nails to fix the tie rack in place. Flanges peripherally about the tie rack may be considered to be more esthetic to some persons, whereas flanges solely to the left and right of the rack may be considered to be more esthetic to others.

Although rectangular shaped tie racks have been illustrated, of course other shapes can be used, such as circular tie racks, elliptical tie racks, and the like.

Although the slots shown in the drawings are continuous and are oriented in a backward downwardly directed manner, it is intended that such equivalent slots as those where the upper front surfaces are beveled and the rear back surfaces are beveled, to any substantial degree, should be included within the scope of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A vertically mountable support for ties of the type having a central clip and a pair of generally transversable disposed prongs, hereinafter referred to as hook-on ties, comprising a casing including a front plate forming a smooth, flat, relatively thin, rigid body of uniform thickness, and-- having an edge terminating in a rearwardly directed flange, with said flange terminating with right angular ear means having openings for receiving suitable fastening devices for securing the support to a vertical structure, said front plate having a plurality of elongated slots disposed therein, said elongated slots being arranged with their major axes in a horizontal plane, each of said slots being adapted to receive the central clip ofa hookon tie,

and said slots being generated throu h said front plate in a backwardly and downwardly directe manner providing the slots with beveled upper front surfaces and beveled lower rear surfaces so that hook-on ties can be easily inserted into and removed from said support.

2. The support as recited in claim 1 wherein the slots are arranged in a matrix with the slots staggered in an alternate interlaced configuration.

3. The support as recited in claim 2 wherein the surfaces are beveled at an angle of substantially 45 with the vertical plane.

4. The support as recited in claim 1 wherein the surfaces are beveled at an angle ofsubstantially 45 with the vertical plane. 

1. A vertically mountable support for ties of the type having a central clip and a pair of generally transversable disposed prongs, hereinafter referred to as hook-on ties, comprising a casing including a front plate forming a smooth, flat, relatively thin, rigid body of uniform thickness, and-- having an edge terminating in a rearwardly directed flange, with said flange terminating with right angular ear means having openings for receiving suitable fastening devices for securing the support to a vertical structure, said front plate having a plurality of elongated slots disposed therein, said elongated slots being arranged with their major axes in a horizontal plane, each of said slots being adapted to receive the central clip of a hook-on tie, and said slots being generated through said front plate in a backwardly and downwardly directed manner providing the slots with beveled upper front surfaces and beveled lower rear surfaces so that hook-on ties can be easily inserted into and removed from said support.
 2. The support as recited in claim 1 wherein the slots are arranged in a matrix with the slots staggered in an alternate interlaced configuration.
 3. The support as recited in claim 2 wherein the surfaces are beveled at an angle of substantially 45* with the vertical plane.
 4. The support as recited in claim 1 wherein the surfaces are beveled at an angle of substantially 45* with the vertical plane. 